Her Time To Interfere
by mizunodatenshi
Summary: We’ve all heard this phrase, at least once or twice, about having skeletons in your closet that could haunt you later on in life. It makes you wonder how many you have, the ones you do have, and the ones you didn’t even know you have.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Well, this story is in no way linked to my other stories in fanfiction. I was just watching season 4 of One Tree Hill over and over, thinking how unfair it was that Nathan was trying to take care of his family, but lost his scholarship. Yes, he broke rules and disgraced the game but he did it because he was desperate. Most people would do that same thing for family. I know I would and he realized his mistake rather than let Lucas take the blame. He's grown up so much that, in my personal opinion, he deserves to fulfill his dreams.

By the way, this is a one-shot but I'm still torn on whether or not it should remain a one-shot or become a full-fledged story. Hopefully you like it.

**We've all heard this phrase, at least once or twice, about having skeletons in your closet that could haunt you later on in life. It makes you wonder how many you have, the ones you do have, and the ones you didn't even know you have.**

Somewhere in a café in South Carolina, a girl was watching her brother on TV. This was the first time and most likely not the last time. "He's really screwed himself over this time." she said to no one in particular.

Standing up, she left the café quietly, so she wouldn't draw anyone's attention. The girl walked to her car where her bags were. She sat in the driver's seat, turning on the ignition. Pausing, she said, "Time to interfere."

She drove for hours until she reached her destination. Home of the Blue Devils, Duke University.

The next day, Whitey went to the river court to deliver some news to Nathan about his scholarship with Duke. "Hey Coach." Nathan panted, holding the basketball in his hands.

Whitey chuckled. "Well, I'm not your coach anymore, remember?"

"Yeah." he paused. "It's weird not to see you as my coach though."

"Well, you can still call me that if you'd like. So, I've got some news for you."

"Good or bad?"

Whitey nodded his head, trying to think of how to answer that question. "It depends on how you see it." Nathan gulped and Whitey continued. "Duke rescinded your scholarship offer."

"Oh." he said dejectedly, his head drooping.

"But it seems that someone has spoken to them and convinced them to have another meeting. They've agreed to let you sit it on it."

Nathan was shocked to say the least. "Wha…When?"

"Tomorrow afternoon at two."

"So soon?"

"Yeah, apparently, this person is very good at persuasion."

"Did you-"

"No, Nathan, it wasn't me. This person reached them before I did."

"Did they tell you who?"

"No, the person asked them to not disclose any information about them."

"Wow, thank you, Coach. This means a lot to me and Haley too."

"Well, hold on a minute, I didn't do anything."

Nathan shook his head and Whitey raised an eyebrow at him. "Coach, you've done everything for me."

Whitey smiled. "Well, Nathan, you keep that fire burning inside of you that made you the best player I've ever coached and that'll be enough thanks for me."

"Got it, Coach. Um…"

"What, son?"

"Coach, do you think that, maybe, you…could come with me? To Duke, tomorrow?"

Almost beaming, Whitey nodded. "Sure, but if I have to drive myself, you're paying for my gas."

"Sure, but I think we can take you. If Haley comes. I'm pretty sure she will though. She'll be excited. Hey, Coach, do you think that they could change their minds?"

"Well, Nathan, nothing is for sure. But I'll tell you one thing, people love a guy who rises from the ashes."

"That sounds like something Keith would say."

"Your uncle was a great man. You try your best to take after him, better Keith than your rotten father."

"Yeah, I'll come by tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, but don't forget some food too. I get hungry on road trips." Nathan merely laughed as Whitey walked to his car and drove away.

At Karen's Café, Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, Haley, Mouth, and Skills were all gathered around a table. "What do you think Nathan wanted us here for?" Brooke asked.

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me and I'm his wife!" Haley whined and everyone laughed.

"Because I wanted to tell everyone at the same time." Nathan said as he walked up to them.

"What? Don't keep us in suspense." Peyton said.

Skills agreed. "Yeah, or Mrs. Scott over here will pop out another Scott prematurely."

They all laughed. "Alright. So, Whitey talked to Duke and they rescinded my scholarship offer."

"So, you're clearly trying to cheer us all up by inviting here on the premise that it's good news?" Lucas asked.

"No, man. That's not all. Someone else talked to Duke and got them to agree to consider me again. I have to go there tomorrow for the meeting and explain myself, I guess."

"Oh my god, Nathan! That's great!" Haley cheered and the girls agreed, saying something as well while the guys nodded.

"Thanks, guys. Uh, about tomorrow, well, I was hoping-"

"Let me guess." Mouth said. "Another road trip?"

"If you guys don't mind. Whitey's going and I'd like it if you could come too." he looked at each of them in turn and pleaded with his eyes. Each of them smiled back at him in return.

Nathan received a chorus of yeses and he sighed in relief. "Okay, then. Duke, here we come."

"Hey, what are the chances of Duke having a prom too?" Brooke joked.

The next day, after laughing a lot in the car on the way there and Whitey forcing them to listen to music from the 50's, they were standing outside of the Duke conference room. "Honey, you okay?" Haley asked him, slightly worried. She was nervous as well but she knew she needed to be confident for Nathan.

In all honesty, every person in the group was worried for Nathan and hoped for the best but they found it hard to keep the optimism up when chaos is common among them.

"Hey, Coach, did you ever find out who convinced Duke to have this meeting?" Lucas asked Whitey.

He shook his head, although he wanted to know, no one would tell him. "They wouldn't tell me a thing."

Nathan exhaled anxiously. "Well, here goes." he took one more look at their faces and they tried to smile to reassure him but Nathan knew they were almost as, if not more than, scared as he was. This could be it for him.

He thought the conference when he announced what he had done was it but this meeting gave him the tiniest hope. Hope that could be diminished in a flash and Nathan almost didn't want to find out because he wanted to hold onto that hope. Cherish it, cling onto it for dear life, and forget that he had it just in case it didn't work out.

With Haley at his side, he walked through the doors. Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, Mouth, Skills, and Whitey behind him. The atmosphere as they entered was as palpable as an elephant in someone's living room; protruding out and obviously not belonging there.

Sitting down in the seats clearly for them, everyone waited for the meeting to start, frightened to death and ecstatic for a chance. No one was as emotionally unstable as Nathan at that moment. He was worried he might start shaking or having a panic attack right there in his chair.

The President of Duke, Richard H. Brodhead, stood at the head of the room and called the room to attention. "I believe we all know why this meeting has been called or you've heard the, shall I say, gossip running through the committees. What you do not know is why I've agreed to have this meeting.

Well, I was in my office the other day when this girl, not much younger than Nathan Scott himself, bursts into my office - much to the protest of my secretary, mind you - and she demands that I listen to what she had to say.

Normally, I have no patience for such out-there requests, particularly ones made so rudely, but this girl had so much determination in her eyes that I told her to sit down and talk.

I could tell she was shocked that I said yes so quickly but she sat down anyway. She made such a strong argument that I think we all should hear it again today. In fact, Mr. Scott, I didn't request your presence here today to explain your case but, rather, to hear this girl explain your case. Please." he motioned to someone sitting near him.

She stood and smiled meekly. "Hello, I'm Katherine. My last name's not really important right now but I can tell you what is. Nathan getting his scholarship back. Frankly, he deserves it and he's worked his whole life for it. Nathan has reached Hell and back. Literally, his father is Dan Scott but, ha, that's an entirely different topic that I could go on and on about.

Duke University is this amazing college with a great athletic department. Plus, the mascot's pretty cool too. You know, the Blue Devils. Anyway, like I said, Nathan's been through a lot. Sure, he doesn't have the worst life but to say that his life is easy, or anyone else's for that matter, is wrong.

Nathan knows that and he realizes his mistakes. Clearly, he's proved it. I mean, Nathan could have let Lucas, his brother, take the fall for him and go here in the fall without anyone knowing the slightest other than who he's confided in previously. But he didn't. He couldn't.

Personally, I think the old Nathan would have because the old Nathan didn't care about anyone but himself or anything but sex, alcohol, and basketball. He did terrible in school too but he's going to graduate soon and now he cares about his wife, Haley, and his son that's going to be born any day now. He still cares about basketball now and, yes, because he compromised the honor of the game, it makes it seem like he does."

The Tree Hill group wondered how she knew so much about Nathan and who she was. Everything she said was right. It was like she was there the whole time but they doubted it.

"But Nathan is just eighteen. He's not done growing up. I doubt many adults now can truthfully say they're done growing up. However, he has grown and, by point-shaving, he proved that he's going to be a great father."

"What does any of this have to do with allowing Nathan to go to Duke and play for us?" Tallman Trask III, the executive vice president asked.

"Well, a lot if you listen and let me finish." Katherine cleared her throat. "Mr. Tallman, do you have any kids?"

"Why, yes, I do but I hardly see how this is relevant."

"Would you do anything for them?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I would. They are my children. My own flesh-and-blood." he stated, looking proud of himself.

Katherine smiled. "Okay, say you're an eighteen-year-old guy with a wife and a child on the way. You have bills to pay but no job because you have to focus on basketball because it's your only chance for college. Say you needed help but your father turns you down. Say you had nowhere to go and a seemingly nice guy offers to help you out.

Say that when you can't pay him back by a certain time, not only does the guy raise the payment but he threatens you. Say he threatens to injure you so you can't play anymore. Say he threatens your scholarship. Say he threatens your family. Say he threatens everything that matters to you. Say he threatens to take it all away. What would you do?"

Tallmen Trask opened his mouth but Katherine cut him off. "Now, now, Mr. Trask, wouldn't want to lie, now would we? We all know the answer here. You would do what you'd have to do to ensure your family's future. Nathan did what he thought was best for his wife and son.

Can you really blame him for trying to take care of them? Can you penalize someone who made a mistake for the right reasons? He was scared. Who wouldn't be? He's young and being a parent scares anyone at any age. Nathan already has to live with the fact that Haley was hurt as a result of his deal with this Daunte guy.

Don't take this scholarship away from him. Don't take his best chance of providing for his family away. Don't take his dream away. If there are people that deserve their dream to come true, Nathan is one of those people. Besides, we all know Nathan is one of the best basketball players we've ever seen. Right, Coach K?"

He laughed. "Right you are, Katherine, is it? Right you are."

"See, I'm right and you all know it. So, let Nathan come here. Give him his scholarship back. Give him another chance and, most importantly, give him his dreams back. No one deserves to have their dreams taken away."

President Brodhead stood up and said, "Well, does anyone have something to say because I already know my decision. I knew yesterday. Mr. Trask?"

"This is a serious matter. Imagine what the press will say."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Yes, because what other people think about who shapes who you are. Who cares what they say? Nathan has done an admirable thing. Besides, someone used to tell me that everyone loves a person who rises from the ashes. It gives us hope. Who better to give us hope than a guy who went from being a jerk to a great person, in just two years? A guy who is married happily with a kid on the way and has survived a lot, even a few car accidents here and there."

Mr. Trask seemed to be considering this and Mr. Brodhead asked, "Does anyone object to what Katherine here has proposed we do?"

All eyes appeared to be on Mr. Trask but he didn't say anything. In fact, he just looked up and smiled at Katherine, who was now beaming.

"Well, then, congratulations, Nathan Scott. You've just become a Blue Devil. Welcome to the family."

"Thank you!" he jumped up, hugging Haley. He was so surprised that he couldn't contain himself and cheered with them. "Thank you so much!"

President Brodhead laughed. "Don't thank me. Thank Katherine."

"Thank you! Really! Thank you all so much! Hales, can you believe this?"

"No! Oh my god, Nathan!"

"Whoo-hoo!" Skills and Mouth yelled. Lucas and Peyton cheered with them as well while Whitey laughed, grinning. The building began clearing out except for them and Katherine, who was talking to President Brodhead.

"You know, Katherine, you can give one hell of a speech. You might consider coming to Duke and becoming a lawyer maybe."

"Thanks, but I got plans."

"Well, I have a few questions for you before you go off and do those plans."

"Go ahead. I kind of owe you for this meeting and giving Nathan back the scholarship."

"No, you don't. That speech convinced everyone. I just called the meeting because you convinced me yesterday. But what I want to know is why you did it? From the looks on Nathan Scott's face, he looked confused, almost as if he didn't know who you were."

"He doesn't."

"What? Why?"

"Why doesn't he know me?"

"Well, that too, I suppose but I mean why would you do this then?"

"It was my time to interfere. That was always part of my plans."

"What are your plans, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The same thing Nathan is doing. Taking care of my family."

"That reminds me, what is your last name?"

Katherine looked over at Nathan and Lucas with their friends. Mr. Brodhead followed her gaze. She looked back at him and smiled. "Scott."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey, well, as you've probably guessed by now if you're reading this, I decided to continue this story. I got a few reviewers that were extremely kind and gernerous for their words. Thank you very much if you reviewed! I've got a few things planned out already for this story but not much time to type it all out and post it, so sorry if I'm really slow with updates. Hope you enjoy chapter two.

P.S. Just wondering, does Katherine seem a little all over the place or different from the last chapter? Maybe it's just me but if anyone notices anything off about her, please tell me. I'm open to all kinds of criticisms, even flames. Well, enjoy( hopefully...)

**There are many unknown things in the world that even the things we believe to be the truth are questionable. But what do you do when all that you have known to be truth is, in fact, a lie or, at least, hidden.**

He looked at her astonished. "But I thought you said he does not know you."

"That he doesn't."

"But-"

She held up a hand to stop him. "It's a rather long story. Well, in actuality, it's more of a soap opera thing but long nonetheless."

Mr. Brodhead chuckled, entertained. "Well, I must say this is intriguing. You have to come back one day and tell me."

Katherine laughed. "Sure. Maybe in the summer, when there's nothing much to do. Trust me, it'll give you something to think about. I can tell you one thing for sure though, it's definitely not boring."

"Oh, I would not disagree with that for one second."

"Well, I'm going to be leaving now."

"Trying to sneak out before they ask you who you are?"

"You could say that."

Too bad for Katherine that the whole group noticed her leaving and followed her to the parking lot. "Hey you!" Nathan yelled. "Katherine!"

Katherine turned around, smiled at him, and started her car. Waving goodbye, she backed out of her parking spot.

"Great, now what?" Nathan asked them.

Lucas stared after Katherine's car. "We follow her."

Everyone ran back to the cars( Haley kind of wobbled. After all, she is about nine months pregnant) and pursued Katherine, who hadn't gone far. In fact, Katherine drove in the direction of Tree Hill and stopped at a café just a few miles outside of the town.

Nathan and Lucas went into the café first. Once they saw Katherine in a booth in the back, they all cornered her there. Panic registered into her eyes when she saw that she was trapped. "Uh…hi?"

"Hi, Katherine." Brooke said, "How do you know so much about Nathan?"

"Uh…Peyton's pod casts?"

Nathan, Haley, Lucas, Brooke, Skills, Mouth, and Whitey looked at Peyton. "Hey, I took those off after…well, you know!"

"Nice try, girlie. How do you know so much about my husband? And my pregnancy? And my brother-in-law? And-"

"Don't forget your ex-roommate, your future sister-in-law, the guy who has your baby boy's back, the sports announcer, and the coach who's helped all of you somehow."

"Okay, how do you know all of that?" Lucas asked, blushing over the 'future sister-in-law' part that Katherine said to Haley. He hoped Peyton let that go right over her head. Everyone else as well, or he'd be teased relentlessly.

"I…Uh…internet?" All the teens started talking at the same time, protesting and demanding answers.

Whitey spoke up, shutting all of them up. "Let me talk to her. You all are scaring the poor girl."

"Coach Durham's right." Mouth stated. "Let's give them some space. Might as well go order something."

They murmured words of agreement and stalked off towards the registers and Whitey called out to them, "Nathan, I like my coffee black with sugar."

Katherine laughed. "You always seemed like a funny guy."

"Really? I do? Tell me how you came to think that."

She sighed and took a sip of her coffee. "There's no way I can get away with not telling you, is there?"

"No, but it is good that you know that."

"Fine, I guess you're the best candidate to tell first anyway. As you know, my name is Katherine." he nodded. "But what you don't know is that my last name is Scott."

His eyes widened and Katherine's smile weakened. "Yeah, it's a long story but I am Dan Scott's daughter. I'm about one year younger than Lucas and Nathan."

"How? Well, Danny did always have a way of sowing his oats in places he shouldn't."

Katherine's smiled widened, her confidence beginning to grow again. "Yeah, you think he'd stop after abandoning one kid but I guess he wanted an abandoned kid of both sexes."

This time, Whitey was the one to laugh and the group made their way back to them. Nathan handed a cup to Whitey. "Here, Coach. Uh, so, what…?"

"I think I'll let Katherine here explain."

Katherine's eyes widened in surprise and she jumped in her seat. "I don't think I-"

Skills cut her off. "Yo, you know so much about us, make a speech that gets Nate-dawg his scholarship back, and you ain't going to tell us who you are at least? Man, that's messed up right there."

"Okay. I'll tell you who I am then. My name is Katherine-"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "We know that already."

"Brooke, you might want to let her finish her sentence." Peyton looked at her.

"Oh, right."

Peyton rolled her eyes, muttering, "B. Davis…"

"Anyways," Katherine watched the exchange, torn between wanting to laugh or be worried for Brooke's mental welfare. "my name is Katherine Scott."

"What?" Nathan yelled.

"Uh, yeah, I think I heard you wrong. What's your last name again?" Haley asked.

"Yo, I think we all heard that." Skills said, his eyes wide. Then, he asked, "how could you be a Scott?"

Katherine furrowed her eyebrows. "You mean, you haven't been given 'the birds and the bees' talk? Because if you haven't, I'm not sure I'm the right person to give it to you."

Mouth cut in before someone else could. "I think you know what we mean, Katherine."

"Well, of course I do but I just couldn't resist. It was too funny."

"Someone better explain now or I'm going to explode." threatened Haley.

"No need for threats here. Look, I don't know exactly what kind of things you and Nathan be doing, but this is a public place. Save that for the privacy of your bedroom or, heck, the privacy of any room. Whatever floats your boat."

Haley was speechless, as were the other girls. Nathan, Lucas, and the guys were amused. "Well, I didn't mean it that way." Haley finally managed to get out.

"How did you mean it then?"

"I meant, that someone should explain soon because I really have to go pee!"

"Okay, then, how about you go pee and I leave."

Brooke yelled. "No way! You have to tell us how you know so much and why your last name is Scott."

"Well, obviously, Dan can't stop spreading his seed long enough to actually realize the repercussions. Although, personally, you ask me, I say that Dan wanted to abandon a child of both sexes. You know, make it even or something. Either that or he's a hell of a horny bastard."

"Do you always talk so…?" Lucas started but wasn't sure how to word it.

"Vulgarly? Yes."

Mouth chuckled nervously. "You're really straight-forward, aren't you?"

"Yup. Life's short. We should be more truthful. Besides, if I wasn't so blunt, that meeting never would've happened and Nathan wouldn't have his scholarship back."

"Yeah, and I'm grateful for that but if you…ugh! This is crazy!"

"You think? I found out on my eighth birthday."

Skills winced. "Damn. Really?"

"Yeah, this was my mom: 'happy birthday, Katherine. By the way, your father is not who you think he is and you have two brothers. One he abandoned and one he kept around.' That was basically how it went."

"Wow. Was your mom drunk or something?" Peyton asked.

"Nope, she was just herself. Look, I was serious about the leaving thing. I have to be somewhere soon."

Everyone looked at her skeptically. "Is this just an excuse to run away?" questioned Lucas.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Please, if that were the case, I would've been gone already. Since you guys are being rather persistent on finding out my exact connection to Dan, you can come with me. I'm sure it's somewhere you've all been before."

"Sounds good to me. Hales?" Nathan looked at his wife, peering into her eyes searchingly.

She nodded. "Yeah, but, first, I need to go to the bathroom!" Haley jumped up, half-running and half-wobbling to the restroom.

Minutes later, while driving, Skills furrowed his eyebrows, "She's going right into Tree Hill."

"Well, she did say it was somewhere we've all been before." Mouth stated.

"Is this…" Brooke gasped. "This is the road to the cemetery! Is she planning to kill us or something?"

"Brooke, you do realize that this explains the flowers she bought before we drove off a while ago." Haley said, laughing and somewhat astonished to how Brooke can act at times.

Whitey guffawed. "You think the girl would kill us?"

"We outnumber her." Mouth pointed out.

Nathan laughed. "Not to mention, we out-muscle her. Right, Luke?" he flexed a muscle jokingly.

"I know I do. But I don't know about you, little brother, looks like you've been slacking."

They laughed but stopped as Katherine parked her car a few meters ahead of them. She got out and walked through the graveyard, stopping only at her destination.

The Tree Hill group followed her quietly. Everyone realized whose grave Katherine was visiting but didn't say anything.

"Hey Keith. It's me…Katherine. I guess if you could see me right now, you'd see Nathan, Lucas, Haley, Peyton, Brooke, Mouth, Skills, and even Coach Durham. Quite the crowd, huh? I finally told them…

They kinda forced me but I know you're glad I told, right Keith? You always wanted to let them know. Well, now they do. If only you weren't…I miss you, Keith but if you tell anyone I said that, I'll be good the rest of my life just to get back at you in heaven."

None of them had a clue what to say. It was already overwhelming news to find out that Lucas and Nathan had a sister, but Keith knew her. The Scott brothers were shocked and because they didn't know what to do next, they were angry.

Nathan and Lucas were about to say something to her, but Katherine beat them to it, never taking her eyes off of Keith's grave. "Keith used to visit me the first Saturday of every month. He rarely missed one. If he did, he had a good reason, like when Karen went to Italy and he stayed with Lucas. Otherwise, he was always there.

It's funny…I hated Keith at first. He'd nag me to let him tell you; both of you but I'd say no each time. Keith said you had a right to know. Then, he'd try to make me feel guilty by telling me about you guys, saying that I had a right to know about my brothers like you guys have a right to know me.

I just rolled my eyes at him all the time but he never stopped. Never stopped calling, never stopped visiting, never stopped telling me about you guys. At one point, it got on my nerves so much that I bet Keith if I could find out more things than him, then he'd have to stop telling me stories.

I went to such extreme efforts to win that bet, I'm pretty sure it violates at least ten state laws. In fact, I learned more than I ever could want to know but that's what I get for setting up all those cameras."

"Wait, cameras?" Brooke asked. "So you've been watching us? Like some kind of reality TV show?"

"Yup, fascinating how the animalistic, irrational side of the human can be so entertained by the invasion of people's privacy."

Brooke and Skills looked at her with blank looks on her faces. "Yo, this ain't the SATs. Plain English, please."

"Sorry, it's a tendency. But, anyways, uh…eventually, I won the bet and he stopped with the stories but he still came to see me. Keith never stopped with the nagging either. I swear, if I didn't threaten to leave if he told you guys, you would've known the day he found out and called me. I was thirteen then. It was at least two years before Lucas joined the team.

Look, I hope you guys won't be mad at Keith. If anything, be mad at me. I'll tell you guys everything. Answer all your questions but let me have some time with Keith. Besides, Keith doesn't deserve anyone mad at him, especially not in…

Um, I promise that I won't run away. Here." she said, then threw something in their direction. "Keep my keys in exchange. Guarantee you I won't leave without those. After all, Keith gave me that car."

The group decided to relocate to the river court, deciding it would be the best place to remain isolated from anyone else who could stumble upon them, especially Karen, Deb, or worse, Dan.

The river court was also the place where they could be found in case there were an emergency. This way, they were secluded but not completely cut off from the world( of course they have their cell phones, but, for now, that will be conveniently left out). Whitey volunteered to stay behind and wait with Katherine. Lucas, Nathan, Haley, Peyton, Brooke, Mouth, and Skills agreed out of pure shock and because none of them knew what to say if they were left alone with her; or in Lucas' and Nathan's case, were afraid of what they would say if they were alone with her.

"That was some deep shit there." Skills admitted, a few minutes after everyone merely sat in silence. "Man, just when you think your family couldn't get even more messed up."

"Thanks a lot, Skills." Lucas replied sarcastically.

Mouth chuckled. "Got to love Skills for being blunt."

"Yo, man, I ain't as blunt as the Scott sister over there." he pointed out, pointing his thumb in the direction of the cemetery.

"How can you guys joke at a time like this?" Nathan yelled.

Brooke sympathized with him, but not only with him. "Yeah, Nate, I'm sure you and Lucas are going through a lot right now but what about Katherine."

"You're siding with her?" Haley asked.

"It's not about sides."

"I remember saying that to you when you were fighting with Peyton a few months ago."

Peyton looked down and Brooke flushed. "Hey, that's totally different! Besides, this is their sister and you heard her, she found out about them on her eighth birthday. I don't know about you guys, but that's a pretty sucky way to find out."

"Being eight sucks if you ask me." Peyton concurred. Brooke looked at her sadly and rubbed Peyton's knee soothingly, thinking back to how Peyton's mom died when they were eight.

"It does, Peyt. It really does." Lucas' expression softened when he remembered the age Peyton was when Anna, her mom, passed. He thought, 'Being eight does suck. That was the same age I was when I broke my arm.'

"Yeah…" Haley said, wistfully. "Luke broke his arm that year when we were racing to the library. Idiot wasn't paying attention."

"Why?" Mouth asked, not able to reminisce as to the reason. All he could see mentally was Lucas' arm in a cast.

Haley smiled mischievously. "He was going on and on about Rambo."

"Hey, Rambo's cool!"


End file.
